Thought For the Week

Dear Friends, Throughout my life I have heard preachers say there is a “God-shaped hole in the souls of people.” I believe it is true, since we were created by God and in his image. It is indelibly imprinted on our being. St. Augustine suggested this in different words when he suggested our souls will “never be at rest until they rest in him.” Others point to Ecclesiastes 3:11 to prove the point, where we read: “[God] has also put eternity into the human heart…” Yet, the one person who expressed this concept better than any I have read (besides possibly C. S. Lewis) is Blaise Pascal, the brilliant French mathematician, physicist, and religious philosopher, who lived from 1623-1662. It is taken from the book, ”Pensees” (“Thoughts”) first published in 1670, eight years after he passed away. Though passing at the early age of 39, it consisted of profound thoughts, ideas and notes which he had scribbled down with the intention of using them in a book he hoped to write in defense of th...

Dear Friends, Today I share the true story of a humble but strong-willed woman who profoundly influenced the lives of a whole generation of Christian people (especially women), who followed her example in pursuing missionary ministry overseas. Her name was Amy Carmichael – and lest any forget her story, I offer this semi-short blend of fact from many sources. I trust it might inspire you as well. Enjoy.  “Amy Carmichael was born in 1867 into a devout and well-to-do Christian family in Ireland. In her teen years, she was educated at a Wesleyan Methodist boarding school, where at age 13 she trusted Christ as Savior and Lord. At 18 her father died, leaving her family in difficult financial circumstances. The family moved to Belfast, where she became involved in a ministry in the slums where she witnessed the horrendous conditions in the factories where many women and young girls worked. In conjunction with a church in the city, the ministry grew to the point of needing to construct a...

Dear Friends, Last week I sent you some thoughts from the 1915 weekly calendar I found at Nancy’s childhood home in Massachusetts. I got many appreciative responses, so I thought I would send you one last selection of them today. One person wrote saying that they also, like me, enjoy “the old dead guys.” I must confess I do have a deep appreciation for many of them. Certain things change and become obsolete over time, but common sense and wise words tend to retain their staying power. Therefore, I send you this one last grouping of thoughts from, “The Business Man’s Calendar,” published in 1914 (for 1915), by Dodge Publishing Co., 216 E. 23rd Street, New York City. Enjoy! “No amount of money ever made a good soldier, a good teacher, a good artist, or a good workman.” Ruskin “Do good with what you have; or it will do you no good.” William Penn “The happy man is he who is cheerful with moderate means; the unhappy man is he who is discontented in the midst of excess an...